LearninghowtopitchtojournalistsasaPRapprentice

When I started my apprenticeship at Branagh PR, pitching felt like one of the most daunting parts of the role. I understood the theory but quickly realised that putting it into practice required more planning than expected. This blog looks at what I have learned along the way, from understanding what journalists appreciate in a pitch, to finding the right angle and learning how to handle follow-ups. 

Understanding what journalists look for 

One of the things I learned, and something that genuinely changed how I approach pitching, is just how busy journalists are. In many cases, they receive 50 or more pitches a day, often on top of deadlines, breaking news and their own research. That quickly made me realise that getting coverage is not about sending a large quantity of emails. It’s about sending the right one with the right timing.  

Early on, I was thinking about pitches from my own perspective. What did the client want to say? What was important to us? Over time, and through experience, I learned that this is not how journalists work. Relevance is everything. A pitch only works when it fits the shape of a story a journalist can actually use, right now, for their publication and their audience. This really clicked for me during a virtual classroom for my apprenticeship with the PRCA. One of the trainers used an analogy that stuck with me: think of elements to a story as poker chips. A strong quote from a key spokesperson is one chip. A high-quality image is another. A credible statistic, timely insight or real-world example adds more chips to the table. The more useful chips you can offer, the stronger and more attractive the story becomes. That analogy completely shifted how I think about pitching. Instead of asking, “What do we want to say?”, I now ask, “What can we give a journalist that helps them do their job?”. 

Finding an angle that stands out 

Another key learning for me was understanding just how important a clear angle is. Even when a topic is genuinely interesting, a pitch without a defined focus can easily feel vague or forgettable in a crowded inbox. 

At the start, I found myself instinctively wanting to include every part of the story. Over time, I learned that an angle that gives the journalist a reason to care, and a clear way into the story is far more valuable. That might be in the form of a timely statistic, or a strong link to what is happening in the news cycle at the moment. What I have come to realise is that finding an angle often means looking closer. The detail that makes a story stand out is usually already there. Once that hook is identified, the pitch starts to write itself.  

Writing pitches that move quickly 

Structure was the next challenge I had to get to grips with. Looking back at some of my early pitches, they were often longer than they needed to be. I was trying to say too much at once, which meant the key point did not always land as clearly as it should. 

Through practice, it occurred to me that effective pitches need to move quickly. They should give just enough context, clearly state the angle and most importantly make the value of the story immediately obvious, all without asking too much of the reader's time. When a journalist is scanning an inbox, every extra sentence must earn its place. 

Subject lines also turned out to be more important than I initially expected. A clear, well-considered subject line does a lot of the work before the email is even opened. When it reflects the angle accurately, it sets expectations straight away and gives the pitch the best possible chance of being read. 

The human element behind every pitch 

One thing I have come to appreciate is that pitching is never just a mechanical process. At its core, it’s about people, even though the way PRs build relationships with journalists has changed significantly over the years. With newsrooms shrinking and inboxes growing, those relationships are harder to form and take longer to develop. This adds further challenge to the pitching process and makes it increasingly crucial to take the time to understand a journalist’s interests and recent articles to consider whether a story genuinely fits.  

I have also learned that follow-ups are a skill in their own right. A well-timed follow-up can bring a story back into focus, but only when it adds something new. Through my learning and experience, it has become clear that journalists respond far better to follow-ups that offer extra value, whether that’s an additional quote, a stronger statistic or a new angle, rather than simply asking if the story is being picked up.  

Learning from silence and rejection 

Not every pitch gets a response, and at first that silence was uncomfortable. It was easy to assume that no reply meant the idea was not good enough. Over time, I realised that silence is simply part of how the media operates, not a reflection on the quality of the work. 

As I gained experience, I started to treat each pitch as a learning opportunity. When something did not land, I looked for the reason. Was the timing wrong? Was the angle too weak or unclear? Was there a bigger story dominating attention that day? 

Why understanding journalists makes all the difference 

Over time, pitching has stopped feeling like a task I need to get right every time and started to feel like something you grow into. Each pitch, whether it lands or not, adds another layer to my understanding of how journalists work, what they are up against and what genuinely helps them do their job. Rather than looking to achieve a perfect formula, I focus on learning from each attempt and carrying those lessons forward, understanding that in most cases a different approach is needed for each outlet and each person.